School's warning for text bullies: We wl tk yr phn

Pupils at Wairarapa College that use text messages to bully other students will have their cellphones confiscated on the spot, the school has warned.

The Masterton college is cracking down on cellphone misuse by pupils, which includes text bullying, calling parents during school hours and arranging by text to cut classes.

The school is banning the use of cellphones from 8.35am to 3.05pm and says it will confiscate mobiles used within those hours.

Wairarapa College principal Mike Schwass said yesterday the move to take cellphones from pupils and return them to their parents or guardians was only "a tightening of restrictions" already imposed at the school.

He said the threat of immediate confiscation reinforces controls established last year on pupils using mobile phones during school hours.

Mr Schwass said text bullying and other inappropriate use of cellphones was a situation faced by other schools as well.

"Essentially we are not alone in having this situation. It's not a major cause for concern," Mr Schwass said.

Pupils would be given a transition period before the new rules came into effect on March 1.

The confiscation policy was made known to pupils and their parents in a notice accompanying the first school newsletter for the year that was circulated last week.

The notice reported that staff at the college had become concerned at the number of problems that occurred through cellphone use and misuse by pupils during school hours last year.

Examples listed in the notice include text bullying, inappropriate use of phone cameras, cellphone theft, mobile use in class, parents texting or calling pupils during class, and pupils texting or calling to arrange after-school transport.

"Any student who is found to be sending threatening text messages will be seen by a member of the senior management staff ," the notice warns.

According to the notice, school management "believes that too much time is spent dealing with students who breach the cellphone rule".

- WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE